1. Field of the Invention.
The present invention relates to support members on the interior of silos and more particularly to a safety platform and support member that can be used for silo distributors and unloaders.
2. Prior Art.
The use of silo unloaders in upright silos has expanded greatly in recent years. Silos themselves have become larger in diameter, and greater in height, so that the unloaders necessarily also must be larger and therefore heavier. As silos get larger it also becomes more and more difficult to properly fill a silo.
To assist in uniform filling, it is known that use of a spinning disc type distributor mounted in the center of the silo greatly aids in distributing the silage in a substantially uniform density across the diameter of the silo.
Of course, as additional machinery such as distributors and unloaders are mounted to the top of the silo, installation, removal and servicing of such machinery becomes necessary. With the tall silos involved it becomes hazardous for operators to do such servicing.
In the past, silo unloaders have normally been supported on tripods which are positioned adjacent to the top of the silo as shown in U.S. Pat. No. 2,719,058 issued to Frederick E. Van Dusen.
There have been support frames at the top of silos for supporting unloaders, other than the tripod shown in U.S. Pat. No. 2,719,058. For example, a structure that enclosed a framework for supporting a silo unloader is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,407,007.